Although Yue Qingqing could sense something from Zhou Xitong’s demeanor, she had not expected it to be so absurd.
Listening to classmates vividly describe attending the wedding, Yue Qingqing and Qu Ruorui exchanged glances.
"I really didn’t expect it."
Later, Yue Qingqing also asked Jiang Jingze who exactly Jiang Pengxuan was.
The answer she received was that he was "inconsequential."
The car accident that year had been too strange, and the police hadn’t found any clues.
After all, it was dark and confusing, and the truck, which was later confirmed to have been bought from the black market, could not be traced back to anything definitive.
But Jiang Chengren was convinced that the incident was related to Jiang Chengyi, who wanted him to adopt a child.
From that incident, he decided to completely distance himself from those people and never looked back.
Jiang Jingze hadn’t heard from that family in a long time, but unexpectedly, they were still deceitfully using his family’s name.
However, the outcome was both laughable and lamentable.
After this incident, classmates no longer spoke enviously of Zhou Xitong marrying early into a suitable match.
It seemed everyone had learned a lesson.
"It takes true strength to forge the metal of oneself."
Marrying was a huge risk. Who really knew what kind of person the other was?
Under these circumstances, the study atmosphere became even better than before, astonishing the teachers.
The first semester of senior year quickly passed amidst vibrant sounds of reading.
The winter vacation was predictably short.
Seniors had their holiday start on the 29th of Lunar December, and resumed school right at the beginning of March.
Since Yue Xingxing had successfully gotten into her desired school last year, this year as a freshman she comforted her younger brother and sister as someone who had been through it.
"Don’t be nervous, just treat it like a regular test."
Yue Xiaohu was eating messily at the dinner table, his mouth full of food, and it took him a moment to swallow before he replied softly,
"You and Sister Qingqing never worried about studying from childhood, ooh, it’s only me."
Yue Xiaohu felt that his future autobiography should be titled:
"The Poor Scholar and His Brilliant Sister"
"How to Survive in a World of Overachievers"
"Run, Poor Scholar, Run: The Crazy Pursuit by a Scholarly Sister"
It was enough to bring the listener to tears upon hearing, a sight that could make a spectator weep.
Yue Qingqing was actually quite nervous too.
The bigger the capability, the greater the responsibility.
Even the class teacher joked that she was the hope of the whole school, expecting Yue Qingqing to take the provincial top scorer position.
Watching her daughter’s expression, Zhang Ying gently patted her head while handing over a plump custard bun.
Yue Qingqing opened her mouth; the rich filling flowed from the torn skin into her mouth, its sweetness permeating.
"Don’t be nervous, no matter what, you are our pride, just do your best."
While speaking, Zhang Ying exchanged glances with Yue Jiandong; the enduring affection from both parents was tinged with a hint of indiscernible worry.
Yue Qingqing was taken aback.
Lately, her parents always seemed to be worried about something.
But they always stopped short of saying anything at the exact moment it seemed they would speak.
However, they wouldn’t say it, and Yue Qingqing chose not to ask.
She trusted her family.
Outside, the sound of firecrackers crackled loudly, heralding the festivities of the New Year.
Yue Jiannan suddenly chuckled, "Last year at this time, didn’t a certain young lady set off fireworks outside alone?"
Yue Qingqing’s face immediately turned into a watery peach, blushing from the translucent pink, begging to be held and admired.
The family burst into knowing laughter.
"Sister Qingqing is visiting Jiang Jingze’s house tomorrow, right?" Yue Xiaohu spoke quickly.
The peach seemed even riper, ready to fall from the tree at any moment, and Yue Xingxing was temptingly eager to pinch her sister’s cheeks.
To see if they were as hot as she imagined.
"Visiting him, huh," Yue Jiannan clicked his tongue, giving Yue Jiandong a meaningful look.
True enough, looking at the elder brother’s face was like looking at a pot that hadn’t been scrubbed in ages.
Blackened, filled with a despair and helplessness that seemed beyond redemption.